Friction clutch



Jan. 1, 1929.

N. H. HENDERSON FRICTION CLUTCH Fired June 2e, 192e Q Y A f A El Patented Jan. l, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON H. HENDERSON, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

FRICT ION CLUTCH.

Application led .Tune 26, 1926. Serial No. 118,739.

toolholder which is capable of receiving a variety of tools or implements for various purposes.

'lhe flexible shaft is preferably inclosed in a flexible casing which is non-rotatable except that it may be turned by hand relatively to the shaft for attaching it to and detaching it from the supporting frame for the driving element and the main object of the present invention is to provide a clutch coupling whereby the flexible shaft casing may be coupled and uncoupled to and from the supporting frame for the driving element, and may also be adjusted to different positions for connecting and disconnecting'the flexible shaft to and from the rotary driving element to start and stop the flexible shaft at will without stopping the rotation of said driving element.

Another object is to provide means controlled by the relative adjustment of the coupling members for engaging and disengaging the clutch members and for placing one of the clutch members under yielding pressure when engaged with the other clutch member and thereby to provide an automatic take-up for wear in addition to maintaining driving connection between the driving and driven elements.

A further object is to construct the clutch and coupling in such manner that the various parts thereof may be easily and quickly removed or re-assembled when desired.

@ther objects and uses relating to specific parts of the device will be brought out in the following description.

ln the drawings j llfigure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a flexible shaft including the clutch and hand piece, the central portion of the flexible shaft and casing therefor being broken away, the clutch being shown in its released position.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the clutch taken at right angles to that shown in Figure l except that the coupling member on the flexible shaft casing is adjusted to bring the clutch members into frictional engagement with each other.

.es illustrated., this device comprises a flex@ ible shaft -l-- and a hollow flexible casing 2`- therefor having its interior diameter slightly greater than the external diameter of the flexible shaft mlso as to permit free j turning movement of the latter therein.

The shaft l and casing -SZ-Kmay be of any desired length but the flexible shaft is preferably longer than its casing so as to extend beyond the opposite ends thereof.

The opposite ends of the flexible casing ,-2- are provided with hollow circular heads 3M and -4- co-axial therewith and rigidly secured thereto by brazing or otherwise to form permanent parts thereof.

The outer end of t-he head -3 is reduced in diameter and threaded externally for receiving the internally threaded end of a tubular coupling member or sleeve 5* having its outer end threaded internally for engagement with an externally threaded head or coupling member -G- which is stationary or non-rotatable and may be attached to or form a part of the supporting frame of an electric motor or other power unit having a journal bearing -7- for a rotary driving element 8.

rlhe coupling member -6 is preferably keyed to the journal bearing T- by means of pins --9- shown in Figures l and 2 to lock those parts against relative rotation and at the same time to permit them to be separated when desired.

The coupling sleeve d is screwed tightly upon the threaded portion of the head -3- and together with said head constitutes a cylindrical handle adapted to be screwed upon and unscrewed from the threaded portion of the supporting member -6 thus permitting axial adjustment of the sleeve -5 and its supporting head -3- relatively to the coupling member -6-, bearing Thisdriving element -8M is rotatable in the bearing k-7- and extends inwardly some distance beyond the innercnd of the bearing and is additionally journaled within the sleeve -5- through the medium of ballbearing 10m which serves the double purpose of resisting radial and end-thrust move ments of the rotary driving element.

That is, this ball-bearing comprises outer and inner concentric rings -11- and --'^llhaving annular ball races in their adjacent faces for receiving anti-friction balls ll---=;

the inner ring being engaged with the inner the outer ring` is engaged with the inner end face of the coupling member -6- and also with an annular bore in the intermediate portion of the sleeve -5-. Y

The head --Su on the outer end of the flexible casing Q- is provided with an inner annular socket tor receiving a ball-bearing -12- similar to the ball-bearing -lO- in that it is composed ot inner and outer concentric rings land --l3 and interposed antidriction balls -l2-.

rlthese ballbearings are arranged co-aXiallyrbut in axially spaceifl relation Ator receiving between them co-operative friction disks letand --lM constituting a friction clutch adapted to be opened and closed at will by turning movement et the coupling sleeve -5- upon the coupling member t3 in re verse directions in a n'ianner presently described.

The clutch disk *lllextends across the inner end ot the ball-bearing -wlU- and is provided with a reduced threaded shank -l-V engaging in a threaded socket --lhq in the inner end of the rotary driving element -8- to rotate therewith and also serves to clamp the inner ball race -llagainst an annular shoulder on the driving element n-8 to facilitate the rotation of said disk with the driving element and also to Yfacilitate the assembly and removal of' the ball-bearing e107- Y The outer end of the flexible shaft lis provided with a cylindrical head 1PZ- secured thereto by brazing or otherwise to rot ate therewith, said head being ent-ended through cent 1al co-axial openings in the inner ball race -13-- and friction disk l5- and may be secured to the inner ring 13 but is prei?- erably itted therein in such manner as to allow slight endwise vibra` tory movement ot the flexible shaft during its rotation.

rlhe friction disk 15- is splincd upon the outer end of the head 1?nfor ani al movement relatively thereto and for rotation therewith and for this purpose is provided with an inwardly projecting hub having a diametrically extending slot 18m for receiving a cross pin jl9-' in the upper end of the head 1?*as shown more clearly in Figure l.

A; springsupjporting disk -2- is seated upon the inner ring -13- of the ball-bearing l2-` around the head 17 and upon this disk is supported one end oi a coiled spring 21- having its other end bearing against the inner face ot the friction disk m15* for exerting outward pressure toward the coinpanion friction disk 1li-1 The coupling sleeve -5- is provided intermediate its ends with an annular shoulder 22- adapted to engage the outer end face of the friction disk #l5- for forcing said disk out of engagement with its companion disk mltwhen the coupling` member -A -limis unscrewed a pre-determined distance relatively to its companion couplingl member -G- as shown in Figure l thereby disconnecting the flexible shaft *l* from the rotary driving elc1nent-8-- On the other hand it the couplingl sleeve -5- is screwed upon the coupling member a sutlicient distance the :friction disk --l5 will be iorced into `irictionai engagement with the driving disk di thereby disengaging the shoulder -22- Ylroiu tbe outer end laee of the driven disk Ihmand causing the rotating disk --l-.t --to transmit rot-ary motion to the disk --l ii-- and thence to the Yflexible shaft -l-.

Under these conditions the rotation o' the iieXible shai't nlmay he stopped and si ari s ed at will independently ol the driving element -8- by .siniply rota ting the :d ce v c by iand in one direction or the other, and il is evident that when the sleeve -vis ad j usted so as to disengago its shoulder troni the `friction disk 15H the tension o" the spring 2lwill automatically force tbc friction disk -15- into irictional engagement with its driving disk -lLl-n Tool-holder.

rl'he head 4f on the end ot the flexible casing -2- carrying` the tool-helder is pron vided with an internally threaded socket in which is screwed the adjacent rediuifed end of a hollow or tubular handle Q3-- conte ining suitable ball-bearings 24H and 2.1-- in axially spaced relation.

The adjacent end of the flexible .sha it 1- extends into the tubular handle 22km and is provided with a head *26W bnr/,cd or otherwise secured thereto to rotate therewithn said head being j )reiierably clamped between the adjacent ends of the inner rings oit the ball-bearin -QAfan d --QVi-M.

Vihe outer end ot the head -2(- is proLA vided with an internally threaded central socket -27-- in which is screwed a reduced externally threaded end MQS oft a toolholder -29-.

rlhe'outer end of this tool holder is eylindrical and hollow and is divided longitudinally through one si de at R0 and circumierentially through the saine sido at El to form yielding jaws as -I3Q-- Yfor 'trirtiow all)T gripping and retaining a tool or other implement therein.

The balLbearings are mounted. in a cylindrical bore in the inner end ot tbe handle -23 to permit the handle section ---23-- to be unscrewed and removed from the head 4* when desired.

It is now clear that when the clutch nieuw ber -15- is brought into rictional ei'igagement with the rotating driving disk -'li-- the flexible shaft -l and tool holder carried thereby together with the tool in the toollll? bolder Will be rotated in the direction oit rotation of the driving element and that when it is desired to stop the rotation of the flexible shaft and parts actuated thereby it is simply necess ry to turn the sleeve 5- in a direction for iiinscreivine it upon the cou- @ling member 6H suiiiciently to cause the shoulder --Qw to disengage tlie friction disk "15- 'roin the companion disk i 41- or if it is desired to remove tlieiileniblc sliait and its casing,l trom tbe driving` element the sleeve --5-M may be entirely disengaged from its companion ineinbei m(3'm by continuing; the unserewingg operacion whereupon the coupling sleeve -5- vv'itli tlie various operating parts tlierein may be Withdrawn eiidwise from the couplinv member --(3- lvlfliat l claim is l. ln friction elutcli of tbe cliaratter described, tbe combination v-:itli a rotary. driving element end a supisort therefor, of a io tary driven element sind a` support tb for, a friction clutch having one ot men attached to the driving element and its other member rotatable witb the driven element, and a coupling sleeve connecting said supports sind inclosing the clutch,- said sleeve being` adjustable axially rel` Lively to one oit the supports and provided with means when adjusted to one position-for ino "ing one oit tbe clutch members axially out ofengageH ment With the other cluteli member.

2. In a friction clutch of tbe character described, the combination with a rotary driving element and a support therefor, of a rotary driven element and asupport therefor, a friction clutch having cooperative members normally spring-pressed into engagement with eacli other and a coupling member connecting` said supports and adjustable axially relatively to one of said supports and provided with means when adjusted to one position for disengeo'ing the clutch members against tbe action or said spring and when adjusted to another position for permitting said clutch members to be engaged ly tlie action oit the springt.

3. lin a friction clutch, a easing having coaxial end beads relatively adjustable axially, and co-aiial rotary drivingv and driven eleL ments journaled respectively in seid lieeds and provided with cooperative friction disks, ono et the disks being spring-pressed toward tlie'otlier disk to engage the sume when the heads are relatively adjusted akially in one direction a part ci? said casing being adjustable angulzirly and provided Witli means tor eiifecting the relative axial. movement of the beads for engaging' and disengaging the disks.

4. ln a friction clutch, a casing liavimg` coaxial end heads relatively ustable axially, and co-u .ial rotary driving and driven elements journaled respectively in said beads and provided with cooperative friction disks, one the disks being springpressed toward the other disk to engage die saine when the beads are relatively adjusted axially in one direction, and means for holding the spring actuated disk against the action of the springI when tbe disks are seperated.

in Witness Wliereoi l bave hereunto set my hand this 16th day of June, 1926.

NELSN H. HENDERSON. 

